414 Life and Letters of Francis Gait on 



distributed ronml the mean ; we are not even clear as to the frequency of 

 brackets in coni|»etitions of different sizes. There is still much work to Ije 

 done on the lines of Galton's Difference Problem. 



One conclusion, however, may be safely drawn, namely, that in this 

 contribution of the octogenarian Ualton to the theory of statistics there was 

 no si^n of a failure of that fertile suggestiveness which had led the sexa- 

 genarian Galton twenty yearn earlier to develop his far-reaching ideas on 

 con*elation. 



Readers of this chapter will have observed that 1 have avoided almost 

 entirely any reference to Galton's work on correlation, which is so essential a 

 part of his contributions to statistical theory. This has been done purposely 

 because it would not only have overweighted an already lengthy chapter, but 

 its development l)elongs peculiarly to Galton's statistical studies of heredity. 

 Both topics will form the subject of chapters in the remaining volume of his 

 Life, Letters and fxtboins. It suffices in this chapter to see Galton deeply in- 

 terested in almost every branch of statistics, but especially in their bearing on 

 anthropometry. We have seen him pass from geography to ethnology, from 

 ethnology to anthropometry, and from anthro])ometry to statistical theory. 

 In the course of a long and crowded life, his contem])oraries recogni.sed him 

 as a master-builder and as a pioneer in one branch of science after another. 

 Space does not pennit of our citing the innumerable questions and problems 

 propounded to Galton by scientific corre-spondents from all quarters of the 

 world. Galton's replies would indeed be a repertorium of information and 

 suggestion, but in the majority of cases the recipients are now desul — for 

 Galton outlived his generation— and I found the quest for his own letters a 

 hopeless task. One such quest was, however, fruitful, and forms a fitting 

 theme with which to close this chapter and volume. 



I. THE PROPOSED PROFESSORSHIP OF APPLIED STATISTICS 



Florence Nightingale luus Ijeen usually estimated by that gracious phase 

 of her life which appealed to the emotional sympathies of a little- instructed 

 public. For that public she is the "Lady of the Lamp." Sympathy with 

 suffering is, however, of small avail — no more so than charity — unless it be 

 accom])anied by iidministrative insight, and this side of Florence Nightingale's 

 character has been too often overlooked. She was a great administrator, 

 and to reach excellence here is impossible without being an ardent student 

 of statistics. Florence Nightingale luis been rightly termed the " Pjissionate 

 Statistician." Her statistics were more than a study, they were indeetl her 

 religion. For her, Quet-elet was the hero as scientist, and the presentation 

 coj)y of his Phytfiipie Sociale. is annotated by her on every page'. Florence 

 Nightingale believed — and in all the actions of her life acted upon that 

 belief — that the administrator could only be successful if he were guided by 



' Prewnted to the Galton I^aborotory by Miss Nightingale's niece, Mrs Vaughan Nash, and 

 now placed becido Darwin's gift of the Oriyin o/ Species to Ualton and Tyndal's gift of lii.s 

 liplfut Addrrw to HerbeK Spencvr. 



